As some of you know I'm the first born child of alcoholics/potheads and thus life up until about 21 wasn't all that fun and good. I have some memories from the bad times but not very many at all considering the resource, and no good memories at all even though I know there were some good times too. Lately I've been starting to think about / consider hypnosis as a way of reaching these memories, I really want to confront and deal with the bad memories in a controlled environment, and bring forth the good ones. As it is now my dreams are going heywire with extreme anxiety as a result, and the good memories that could balance the shitty ones up are completely MIA.

Who here has any experience of hypnosis, does it work for you, was it weird or good, etc...

I love hypnosis but am not sure that unlocking hidden memories is a good idea. Generally I think the brain stores these memories for a reason. I went through a process of trying to deal with things in my past a few years ago and it was very painful to re-live (I didn't do it with hypnosis). Ultimately it took other factors apologies and recognition of the pain they'd caused by other people for me to start coming to terms with it and get through it.

If you're talking about hypnosis combined with psychotherapy then that could be good, but I don't think I would recommend it with just a hypnotherapist or counsellor. You will need someone who's suitably qualified.

Hypnosis itself isn't weird btw - it's actually wonderfully relaxing. I've been to bad and good. The worst was a guy who thought he was hypnotising me by getting me to repeat mantras over and over again; the best made me feel like I was very relaxed (sometimes you wonder whether you're actually "under" but you need to move past this and let your brain switch off. I know that I was under because I once remember him saying "and you'll forget what I just told you" and I tried and tried to remember what he'd just said and couldn't. He also made my fingers move without me moving them - it just happened through my subconcious).

Mostly it's the good memories I want to access, to balance out the bad ones. Of course it would be within psychotherapy, I would never let some hack mess with my brain.


Thanks for your input, it's very valuable to have it from somebody who's been under.

have you researched the hynotists who would do it?...and if what their opinion on it is?

Memory is a very tricky thing. It's unreliable anyway, and if you "unlock old memories", you will not really have any way of knowing whether or not they are accurate. And I tend to agree that if you don't remember, it's for a reason.

Also, some people just aren't susceptable to hypnosis.

Be careful.

I'd like to use hypnosis as well, but I'm scared.